Mauricio Pochettino will hope for good news as he awaits the results of a scan on Erik Lamela on Friday.
The Tottenham forward is struggling to progress from the hip injury that has ruled him out for three months.
Just a fortnight ago the Spurs boss offered an optimistic assessment of Lamela’s recovery having allowed him to return to former club Roma to continue his recuperation from an injury that has sidelined him since October’s EFL Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Yet Pochettino admitted that he was “worried and concerned” the 24-year-old was no nearer to rejoining the first team after his spell in Italy.
Tottenham's record against Manchester City under Mauricio Pochettino
“Tomorrow he will have a scan,” Pochettino told a press conference. “It’s still difficult to give the time that he can come back, we need to wait until tomorrow and then we’ll see what happens because there are still some problems, we are not sure of the diagnosis now and we need to wait until tomorrow.
“Now we are starting to be worried and concerned about him because he (has been out) nearly three months and is still in a situation where he hasn’t moved on.”
Spurs will also be without Jan Vertonghen for Saturday’s trip to the Etihad to take on Manchester City, though Pochettino offered a “very positive” assessment of an ankle injury that will sideline the Belgian defender for six weeks, less than Tottenham had initially feared.
